Saturday, July 18, 2009

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z03 Concept by Ugur Sahin Design.

Automotive design and coach building firm Ugur Sahin Design announced plans to build a Chevrolet Corvette Supercar entitled the Corvette Z03 Concept.The vehicle will be built in a limited production of just 100 units utilizing the platform of the world renown Corvette Z06 and will have a restyled body made of carbon fiber. Beyond the rebodied exterior, modifications will be made to the power plant, suspension and interior.Ugur Sahin Design which was founded in the summer of 2007 by Axel van Mourik and Ugur Sahin is positioning the company as a high end design partner and coachbuilder capable of producing limited edition vehicles utilizing existing manufacturers chassis. Manufacturers chassis being reviewed for additional design projects include Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Bentley.To the team of Ugur Sahin Design the Corvette C6 rolling chassis presented itself as the ideal platform to start working with. Partner, Axel van Mourik had this to say “This is a chassis that has proven to be an extremely competitive package on public roads and even more so on the professional race circuit with victories in both the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans” In regards to the design influence, the cars designer Ugur Sahin says “As a designer, the most important goal of this project was to be able to determine the correct balance between the past and the present design language of the Corvette brand. After studying the brand identity and the history of Corvette, I was able to create a definitive “feel” which obviously was the fundamental of the project.”To take the concept from design to reality the company has organized a team of innovative partners including Flybrid Systems (Winner of Professional World Motorsports Engine Innovation 2007), Modesi Design (technical studies and engineering), Fischer Motorsports (carbon fiber production and engine tuning) and Kirkham Motorsports(aluminum body and panel production). In addition, the expertise of automotive legend and former Corvette chief engineer Dave McLellan has been instrumental in consulting Ugur Sahin Design on the production management of the limited series Z03 Corvette.As for performance, replacing the stock body panels with carbon fiber parts will see a weight reduction of approximately 100 pounds. The vehicle will have three performance packages available ranging from 500 to 750 hp. The top package will be equipped with dual Tial/Garret oil lubricated and liquid cooled ceramic bearing turbochargers combined with a revolutionary Motec electronic engine management system. More detailed specifications on engine and drive train components will be released shortly. All aspects of the vehicles personalization will be handpicked by the customer including custom mixed paint, upgraded interior treatments including gauges, dashboard, custom created RECARO seats and more. Interior upgrades are an important part of the vehicle.Details on pricing and availability will be made public in March. The first production vehicles are set to be delivered to the US market late in 2008.